Reaching Legendary


General Discussion


For completion's sake, I feel that any given class should have the ability to reach legendary in any given proficiency. Not easily mind you, and not necessarily from class features.

Instead, I'd like to see an ultra-high level general feat that works as follows:

Legend - 19 - General, Skill - Master in (X)

Your proficiency in (X) increases to Legendary.

So let's take a Rogue. This Rogue is Dwarf with high Constitution, with a background as a Barkeep. As he levels up, he trains his Alcohol (Lore) skill as high as possible. After his brother is killed in an early adventure, he becomes more violent, taking the barbarian dedication, eventually getting up to Master in Fortitude thanks to the level 12 feat in that tree.

And then, he stops. The then level 20 Rogue/Barbarian that has brewed for Cayden Cailean himself is not capable, under any means magical or otherwise, of reaching Legendary Fortitude. No, he will always do worse than a full-Barbarian of the same level.

Adding this feat would give a lot of flavor to high-level campaigns (note: it does not have the "Can take multiple times" special text, even if you can somehow get another general feat). And while giving legendary proficiency in weapons is probably too strong to leave easily available (why play a fighter when a Wizard can dip a feat and get the same "BAB"), I think it would be okay with enough of a feat tree to climb that it becomes less of a dip and more of a focused sacrifice.

I'm not sure if the feat also needs to give the "if you would critically fail at an X save, you fail instead" text, as it is primarily a flavor thing, not a feat intended to be as strong as Evasiveness et. al.

I see the following as "the path" to reaching master status in each proficiency, in order to qualify for Legend

Perception - Alertness + Master Spotter
Fortitude - Great Fortitude + Juggernaut's Fortitude
Reflex - Lightning Reflexes + Evasiveness
Will - Iron Will + Mental Prowess (Bard level 8 feat)
A single weapon - Weapon Proficiency + Weapon Expert + Another feat that gives master proficiency to a single weapon in a group you are an expert in
A single armor - Armor Proficiency / Paladin Dedication + Armor Expert + an equivalent feat to the above weapon feat
Unarmed - Expert Strikes + unarmed version of the 'weapon master' feat
Unarmored - Unarmored Expertise + armored version of the 'weapon master' feat
Skills - 3 + 7 skill increases

So in general, I think it should take 4 feats Perception or save Legend, for 5-6 feats for weapon Legend, and 6-7 feats for heavy/medium/light/unarmored Legend. Less for a character getting abilities that their class naturally advances in.

While this may cause some math issues at the topmost end of play, I think this is a cool way to make high-level characters unique and flavorful. One high level Halfling Alchemist may train to legendary status as a sling staff user, while another becomes an unmatched mental savant with legendary Will.

It is less about what it changes mathematically, more about the finishing touches it gives to a character. I think even just having the option will open up a lot of concepts.

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